Weekly Wardrobe 7

Another beautiful sunny day in the city of love! Joy of a roommate and I have just got back from today's photo-shoot, but because I don't want to put anything up that's sub-par, it's going to take me a while to write it well. In the meantime I will tide you over with Thursday's outfit because I felt good in it AND someone told me I looked like a princess... The world is full of kind people!

Shirt - My Pa's
Necklace - H+M
Skirt - Marina Retro
Shoes- H+M

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

Week 12: Jardin des Tuileries/Orangerie

Ladies and gentlemen, it is official: spring has sprung in Paris. 23 degrees this Sunday, and gloriously sunny. And while the temperature and glare had faded somewhat by Monday morning, it hasn't rained since and – call me ridiculously optimistic – I think the clement weather might be here to stay!

Dress - Vintage
Blazer - H+M
Shoes - Marks&Spencers
Earrings and Sunglasses - H+M

You don't want to be inside on days like these (especially when they come so rarely!) so I kitted up, triumphantly donned my sunglasses, and headed to the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Jardin des Tuileries was created in 1564 by Catherine de' Medici (you remember her, right? She was the one who brought macaroons over to France – quelle babe!) She set it up as the private garden for the Palais de Tuileries and modelled it on those of her native Florence. A hundred years later, celebrated landscape architect, André Le Nôtre, – the grandson of one of Catherine's gardeners, and the man who did the gardens at Versailles – was commissioned to re-design the whole garden. He transformed it into the formal garden "à la française" that it is today.

It was the first royal garden to be open to the public and, after Louis XVI was removed from power in the 1790s, it became a "Jardin National”. In 1859 Louis Napoleon III (nephew to Bonaparte) constructed twin pavilions, the Jeu de Paume and the Orangerie at one end of the garden, and these (one of which I'll talk more about further down) are still standing, despite the Tuileries Palace being burnt down by the Paris Communards in 1870.

Although you are more likely to find long, tree-lined boulevards and statues in this garden, there is a flower or two as well and so I decided it was time to get a bit floral. Florals are, unsurprisingly, a big thing for Spring-Summer 2013, but they're florals with a twist. Prada, Antonio Marras, and Moschino all used flower motifs in their collections, but these are not your average, twee English roses- these are big, bold, colourful, graphic blooms. Very 1960s and very over the top.

I, however, am not quite brave enough to go that far just yet and decided to ease myself in gently by taking some inspiration from one of my favourite museums in all of Paris: the Orangerie.

Built in 1859 to shelter the garden's orange trees, the Orangerie now houses a wonderful collection of Impressionist and Post- Impressionist art (including works by Cézanne, Matisse, Renoir, Modigliani, Picasso and Soutine. Most famously, however, it is the home of 8 of Claude Monet's water lily murals (the Nymphéas). Monet decided to donate these to the French government in 1922 as a monument to the end of the First World War. Ironically, these same panels were nearly destroyed during the Second World War, 22 years later, when 5 shells fell on the rooms where the Nymphéas were kept, during the liberation of Paris.

 One of Monet's Nymphéas 
NOT MY PHOTO - wikipedia.com

I can truly say that this is one of the most peaceful places I have found in Paris. Something about the hushed atmosphere, the white oval-shaped rooms and these serenely beautiful pictures has a real calming effect. One which contrasts sharply with the lively hustle and bustle of the garden itself!

If you are in Paris I would strongly urge you to give the Orangerie a visit and - if you go on the first Sunday of the month – it's free! Huzzah!

Anyway, I let the soft colours of Monet's water lilies, and my new penchant for pastels, lead this week's outfit. My main problem with florals is that they don't leave you very much to play with. As an incorrigible accessoriser (accessorologist? Accessoreuse?) I tend to prefer simple colours or patterns so that I can add as many pretty baubles as possible to make it more "me". With florals, and patterns in general, you either have to be very brave and pile on clashing garments, or you have to let the one busy item be your centrepiece and tone down everything else. Thankfully, this vintage 70s dress of my mother's is so beautiful, and the colours are so fun, that I didn't mind.

I also took some inspiration from what may be my favourite Spring-Summer 2013 collection. Holly Fulton's Spring-Summer 2013 line pairs light pastel colours, with fun graphic prints and tomboy tailoring, taking inspiration from road-trips through America and 60s skater girl Patti McGee.

I didn't quite manage to capture the carefree insouciance of her models, but I did (I think!) make the outfit a little more relaxed, and a little less girly, by pairing it with a blazer, sunglasses, big earrings, messy hair and a slouch. Would have loved to have added my beloved (if very ratty) espadrilles but I left them in the wrong country. Sad times. I suppose I'll have to invest in some more...

Something about the water lily pictures combined with my newly-dyed red hair made me come over all Ophelia so we headed to one of the garden's many fountains to get in the way of the small boys playing with sail boats. I will leave you with that idyllic image and go start working on another one to present you with next week. Because I’m nice like that.

Dressing Up On Holiday: Edinburgh 1

As any of you who follow me on Twitter will know, I have escaped la France for a week and am on holiday with delightful boyfriend in Edinburgh! So, to make up for the lack of a Paris photoshoot this week, I am going to give you an outfit post everyday while we're out here. You lucky lot.

Jumper - DreamBoxVintage
Skirt - Yumi at Asos
Boots - New Look
Necklace - Asos
Earrings - Turkish shop in the Edinburgh Grassmarket
Belt - Vintage

For our first day in the capital of my lovely homeland, we headed to the National Gallery and wandered around every cashmere and tweed store in the city. Weather is still distressingly un-Spring-like so it was jumpers and boots for me but I refuse to let the cold put me off my new penchant for pastels. Enjoy!

Weekly Wardrobe 5

So for this week's "Weekly Wardrobe" we're keeping it pastel pretty. To be honest, I was really just looking for another excuse to wear the rabbit jumper - I love it! The resulting look is probably how I would describe "smart-casual", if I didn't hate that term with a passion! I felt like a Stepford wife on her way to a BBQ. Should really have taken a potato salad to work with me or something...

Jumper - VintageDreamBox at Etsy
Trousers - H&M
Necklace and Earrings - H&M
Shoes - New Look

The colour palette did, inevitably, make me stand out like a pale and sore thumb in the sea of black crows that is the Paris populace. I don't care though - as far as I'm concerned, this city could use a little Spring. Enjoy what's left of Tuesday!

Weekly Wardrobe 4

I, for one, was inordinately pleased to hear that stripes are in for Spring-Summer 2013. I love stripes. I think stripes are blimmin' great. They are fun, they are striking, they are slimming, and they are classic. This skirt is another new favourite from the ever-reliable, endlessly attractive Asos and I love it (even if my boss did ask me why I'd decided to wear my curtains...) Have realised, however, that footwear must be very carefully reflected upon with this skirt because, as previously stated, I am of a...petite stature and pairing this (supposedly "midi") skirt with flat shoes makes me look as if I have no legs to speak of. 

Top - H&M
Skirt - Asos
Boots - Hobbs

You must excuse the quality of these photos. They were shot approximately 10 minutes after a chunk of snow had fallen off the awning of a shop and onto...my face, to the great hilarity of our (normally-kindly) local Tunisian greengrocer. I was feeling understandably disgruntled. Nonetheless, I was feeling so great in my stripes that I felt I ought to share it. Now please Europe, enough snow, a little Paris in the Springtime would be great...

Weekly Wardrobe 3

Happy Tuesday all,  Monday is behind us which means the week already looks infinitely less dreadful! To make matters better: the sun came out today! Spring has officially sprung in Paris (although I have been warned not to get too used to it, as another 5 days of solid rain are reportedly on the horizon...huzzah...) Anyway, in celebration of the spring-like nature of today I decided to wear my new favourite purchase. Cue gorgeous mint-green circle skirt from Marina Retro. I love circle skirts - there's nothing quite so guaranteed to make you feel like a princess as you twirl around corners and the mint green keeps it up to date with pastel colours being very in for Spring-Summer 2013.

Top - H&M
Skirt - Marina Retro
Necklace - H&M
Belt - Vintage, belonged to my Ma

Enjoy the rest of your week!